If the Rampart Rams were feeling good off their 78-52 takedown of the Widefield Gladiators last Monday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. Rampart took a 67-60 hit to the loss column at the hands of Liberty on Wednesday. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.
Rampart's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Adeel Johnson el, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 11 rebounds. Johnson el is trending in the right direction, as he's improved his point production for three games straight. The team also got some help courtesy of Myles Chavarria, who scored 15 points along with two steals.
Even though they lost, Rampart smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Liberty only pulled down six offensive rebounds.
London Praytor was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 19 points and 12 rebounds for Liberty. Praytor has been hot recently, having posted two or more blocks the last three times he's played. Cameron Cunningham was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with six assists.
Rampart has not been sharp recently, as they've lost six of their last seven games, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-9 record this season. As for Liberty, their victory ended a 17-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 4-10.
Rampart will be playing in front of their home fans against Pine Creek at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hopefully Pine Creek focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 17 on Wednesday. Liberty on the road again on Friday and play against Fountain-Fort Carson at 7:00 p.m. on January 26th.
